Massage therapy is a branch of alternate medicine aimed at providing relief to humanity without using medications. This form of treatment is effective in extending a number of therapeutic benefits, which is why it is being adopted readily nowadays. Amidst all these technological advancements, we see increasing numbers of massage chairs built to replace a masseuse. But are these massage chairs better than massage therapists?
In today’s article, we shall illuminate the “massage therapist vs. the age chair” contest and explain its pros and cons. But first, let us clarify what we are talking about.
Massage Therapist Vs Massage Chair
A massage therapist is a professional trained to perform specific movements (by hand) on your body to enhance well-being. Therapists know of different types of massages and their efficacy for particular conditions.
On the other hand, a massage chair is a robotic device you can keep in your home to get a relaxing massage. The chair has diverse massagers, including water or airbags.
The Differences: Massage Therapist Vs Massage Chair
The purpose of both procedures is the same; however, there are evident differences in how they are achieved.
1. Healing Touch
The most significant difference between a massage therapist and a massage chair is the “healing touch.” It is at “this point that massage therapists take a solid lead from the massage chair.
Vital energy is believed to flow through the human body, and an imbalance of this energy can develop various disorders. The gentle touch of a practitioner that imparts relief and well-being is known as the healing touch.
Though a minute doesn’t give a healing touch, there is a good chance. Studies have shown that therapeutic massage combined with healing touch provides a superior result in reducing pain, nausea, anxiety, and fatigue in cancer patients.
With a healing touch, the therapists also noted subtle improvements in the immune system.
Therefore, this complementary therapy requires human-to-human contact and can not be provided by a robotic chair. According to a randomized controlled trial, the healing touch from a professional in a hospital environment dramatically reduces stress and a shorter outpatient stay for post-CABG patients.
A massage therapist can achieve something that a massage chair can hardly reach, i.e. reducing agitation. As per a pilot study, healing touch showed promising results in alleviating agitation in patients who have dementia.
Research indicates that human touch from a therapist is linked to multiple positive effects on the body, such as improved alertness, reduced pain and stress, revamped immune and endocrine systems, etc.
With a healing touch, massage therapists take the lead in the competition between “massage” therapists and ma”sage ch “ir.” In this case, “old is “old.”
2 ” P” person” listed” Treat” ent V” Privacy
Many people consider massage therapy as a breach of their privacy and are reluctant to get one. This tinge of introverts is justified as a manual massage based on close physical contact between the masseuse and you.
A massage chair solves this problem quite quickly. Getting a massage on a massage chair is as easy as it gets.
Massage Chair maintains Privacy.
You don’t don’t talk to another person, and the therapist doesn’t doesn’t contact you. This is a more convenient way of getting a massage. The vibrating elements inside the chair replace the hands of the therapist.
The modern massage chair boasts advanced roller technology that effectively reduces muscle pain and stress.
Massage Therapist
It is true that your privacy is breached when opting for a massage therapy session by a professional, but the outcomes are superior to those of a robotic chair. You trade your privacy for a personalized massage tailored to your needs.
A chair massage uses a specific combination of movements of the vibrating elements regardless of your specific needs. A professional massage therapist, on the other hand, analyzes your condition and applies hand pressure that is ideal for you.
Therefore, we recommend chair massages for those too shy to face another person, while massage therapy sessions are recommended for those who need to resolve their issues.
3. Massage Coverage Area
Another significant difference between both genres of massage therapy is massage coverage. Here again, massage therapists have the upper hand. This is because their hands can cover almost all of your body parts, while the massage chair is limited to ergonomically designed specific points.
Though massage chairs are ideally designed to provide massage at the most common trigger points, this isn’t equivalent to the highstand technique professional therhisn’tandr example, deep tissue massage is a particular type of massage that can only be performed by a masseuse. Studies have shown that deep-tissue massage effectively reduces systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure.
According to a study, acupoint and meridian muscle massage by a massage chair effectively reduces back pain. However, a study suggests that broader massage coverage through massage therapy is highly potent in treating chronic nonspecific lower back pain.
4. Variety Of Massages
When you submit yourself to the hands of a masseuse, you get plenty of benefits. One of these benefits is the variety of massages you can get. A professional massage therapist offers specialized massage for various issues. Unfortunately, this facility isn’t available with a chisn’tassage.
Most famous manual chisn’tassage include:
Hot Stone
Research suggests that hot stone massage provides significant relief and helps heal damaged organs.
Reflexology
Foot reflexology is commonly practiced as it quickly removes pain, fatigue, and stress from the body. Numerous studies praise the efficacy of this type of massage.
A study promotes the anti-fatigue properties of reflexology massage given by a massage therapist, while another study boasts of superior pain-killing effect achieved in women undergoing labour.
A study suggests that reflexology massage can even reduce the intensity of a specific type of headache. The impact of foot reflexology by a therapist can go beyond the usual pain-killing and stress-relieving response. According to a 2018 randomized controlled trial, foot reflexology can increase the breast milk volume in feeding mothers.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy uses different essential oils to enhance well-being. The oils do their job by being absorbed from the skin or inhaled via the nose. Aromatherapy provides exceptional stress-relieving and pain-killing effects on the body. In the context of massage therapist vs. massage chair, aromatherapy leads to the former.
As per a randomized controlled trial, aromatherapy is quick to remove anxiety and improve sleep in post-surgery patients. People who have received aromatherapy from a professional massage therapist have reported evident reductions in neuropathic pain and improvement in quality of life.
A similar pain-killing effect is observed in primary dysmenorrhea patients, meta-analysis suggests.
Shiatsu
A randomized controlled trial found shiatsu massage therapy to be efficacious in quickly managing and treating lower back pain.
Swedish massage and shiatsu massage are potent in increasing the range of motion of the muscles while alleviating pain.
Other famous types of massage include:
- Thai massage
- Deep Tissue massage
- Prenatal massage
A massage chair offers the following types of massages:
- Upper body massage
- Lower body massage
- Full body massage
- Heated massage
Though effective, they can’t beat the typical macan’tmassage cantons of variety.
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Chair massage is the better option regarding feasibility and time management. To relax in the hands of a professional massage therapist, you have to go through the hectic ordeal of booking an appointment, followed by driving in traffic and then waiting for your turn.
On the other hand, if you have a massage chair in your home, all you have to do is hop onto the chair and set the robot’s controls. There is no hassle of commuting, no robots in the cars, just instant relief and serenity.
Nowadays, we are seeing a rapid increase in the number of massage therapists adjusting to their clients’ demands. Sharp professionals now massage your client’s comfort in your home, bridging the gap between manual and chair massage.
There are mixed views on the cost aspect. A massage chair effectively saves you some bucks that were meant to go into the pocket of the masseuse, but that is a shady truth. This is beToassage therapist, you must have a massage chairnearbyy, for which you have to pay a handsome amount. Most modern massage chairs come with a hefty price tag that can cover many of your trips to the masseuse. However, the fuel cost saved at each visit must be duly appreciated.
According to a study, a home massage chair system is cost-effective in reducing disability and pain associated with chronic lower back pain.
6. Therapeutic Benefits Of Massage
Both types of massages are excellent ways of enhancing your body’s performance and well-being. The health benefits imparted by a massage therapist and anbody’sair massage are as follows: However, you might see disparities in the intensity of the effects.
The most evident health advantages of a manual massage and a chair massage include:
Blood Flow Improvement
It is a widely known fact that massage therapy improves blood circulation in the massaged area. A study found that light massage effectively improves blood circulation in patients suffering from tuberculosis.
Improvements in blood circulation are more pronounced with manual massage than with massage chairs. According to a study, increased blood flow in the upper limb was seen with manual massage.
Stress Reduction
Massage chairs and manual massage therapy can efficiently reduce stress and anxiety. A study found that six-month massage chair sessions can significantly lower blood pressure (systolic, diastolic) and perceived stress.
There are limited studies available to support the stress-reducing effect of massage chairs.
According to a review, a massage therapist can reduce stress by aromatherapy massage. A pilot study claims that hand massage can significantly improve mood in dementia patients. A reduction in stress and agitation was also noted.
Pain Reduction
Healing touch and oncology massage can provide pain relief in patients suffering from refractory cancer pain, a study suggests. Expecting mothers can also benefit from a massage therapist to achieve labour pain relief. Massage therapy is best for these types of pain:
- Chronic low back pain
- Sciatica
- Cancer pain
- Postoperative pain
- Labor pain
- Chronic auto-immune disorder pain (Rheumatoid arthritis, Systemic lupus erythematosus)
7. Learning And Interaction
A massage therapist has the added advantage of educating you. After getting a massage, you can learn how to correct your posture and live a healthy, active life. After the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, many masseuses now offer services at your doorstep.
You may be able to appreciate positive changes in your room settings after a massage therapist’s visit. This therapist’s point to a massage therapist in the contest of massatherapist’st vs massage therapist And Cons: Massage Therapist Vs Massage Chair
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The Best Option: Massage Therapist
Massage therapy is an effective, non-pharmacological treatment modality for chronic pain, stress, and spinal misalignment. Manual massage from a massage therapist used to be the most prevalent type, but in modern times, we have seen a myriad of electronic massagers.
Massage chairs are now becoming part of household furniture. These robotic devices are good at providing mental relaxation and pain relief but are incomparable to a professional’s hands. With a wide variety of massages especially tailored to your needs, a professional massage by a massage therapist is superior to a massage chair. Studies also support this notion.
